WRC Awards

FAN VOTE OPENS TODAY FOR 2017 WRC AWARDS

COFFS COAST (NSW) – A fifth crown for Sébastien Ogier, maiden victories for Ott Tänak, Elfyn Evans and Esapekka Lappi, M-Sport’s first manufacturers’ title in 10 years, Toyota winning on just its second outing. So far it’s been a season of sensational results in the FIA World Rally Championship.

Now as the WRC prepares for its 2017 finale at Kennards Hire Rally Australia on 16-19 November, fans are getting a chance to nominate their own highlights – public voting opens today for nine end-of-season awards to be announced at the annual WRC Gala in Sydney on 20 November.

Starting today on wrc.com with WRC Driver of the Year, a voting category will open every day until 9 November. Voting for all categories closes on 13 November.

In all, 13 awards will be presented at the invitation-only Gala, which will bring down the curtain on a captivating campaign. Organised by Rally Australia and WRC Promoter, the event will welcome crews, teams, championship and event officials, Sydney personalities and government representatives and will be hosted by actor and car fan Shane Jacobson.

Fans around the globe will be able to follow the awards as they are announced on the Rally Australia and WRC social media channels. WRC TV will produce a 30-minute highlights programme for TV broadcast in December.

Ott Tänak carried off the inaugural Driver of the Year title last year, but despite his victories since then in Sardinia and Germany fans will have plenty of other choices in voting for this year’s award.

The candidates are many, from Ogier, whose fifth championship last Sunday made him the second most successful driver in WRC history, to the six other round winners so far this year, Jari-Matti Latvala, Thierry Neuville, Kris Meeke, Tänak, Esapekka Lappi and Elfyn Evans.

Team of the Year, Jump of the Year, Magic Moment and all the other categories offer plenty of scope for fans to have their say about the most exciting and unpredictable WRC season in a decade.

Rally Australia Chairman Ben Rainsford encouraged fans everywhere to vote by 13 November for their heroes and favourite moments from a superb season.

“Giving the sport’s supporters the chance to vote on-line for their best memories of 2017 is a great initiative of the WRC,” Rainsford said.

“With almost 350,00 social media Followers – the most of any WRC round – and a high rate of engagement, Rally Australia has proved than fans love to be involved in the sport interactively through their computers and mobile devices. We’ll look forward with great excitement to seeing who and what they have voted for when the awards are announced in Sydney.”

The voting schedule for the WRC Gala Awards is –

1 November: Voting opens for Driver of the Year2 November: Voting opens for Co-Driver of the Year3 November: Voting opens for Team of the Year4 November: Voting opens for DJI Aerial Award5 November: Voting opens for Michelin Magic Moment6 November: Voting opens for Certina Timing Feat Award7 November: Voting opens for OneBet Jump of the Year8 November: Voting opens for WRC 7 Livery of the Year9 November: Voting opens for Lexar Photograph of the Year13 November: Voting closes for all categories at midnight